Sacrifice
by Katniss212
Summary: Max looses everything for them. But now, after everything, she finds herself buried in Forks, where she remains due to her Mother. In this world of secrets, will Max be able to hang on to hers? After StWaOES and Breaking Dawn.
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, so this is a Maximum Ride/Twilight Crossover. I'm making this up as I go along, so I hope it's not bad.**

**Max POV**

Self preservation. The strongest instinct and the centerpiece of humanity. The core of every thought, moral, action, and decision. The essence of everyone's past, future, and present. The very shadow that clings to our soles, curling around our ankles.

Well, I, the very untraditional Maximum Ride, have screwed self preservation over. You would think, growing up the way we did, that self preservation would be all we had, the very guideline of our existence. What can I say? They are so much more important. When a whitecoat came to me with the question, the answer was obvious. So the flock was set free while I remained captive.

_Flashback_

_"Max" The retched whitecoat said to me, not even looking up from the clipboard he held in his hands. "From our observations we have found you and the other avian experiments intolerably uncooperative"_

_Well, duh, I wanted to scream. 'Hey, Max, it's your turn for the dissection table. We just need to look at the inner structure of you arms, so we'll be looking in both of those. Oh, and we ran out of knock out gas, and painkiller, for that matter, so you'll have to do without that.' 'Yes! Just let me out of this amazingly comfortable dog crate and show me the way. I'm so excited! Hey, I'm allowed to scream, right?' I mean, come on! We sure as hell were not going down without a fight!_

_"Therefore," the whitecoat continued, "We will keep one of you and exterminate the rest."_

_My thoughts immediately jumped to the flock. Especially Angel. I couldn't let them kill her, but I wasn't going to leave her by herself. My mind, and heart for that matter, was going a million miles a minute, searching for loopholes, for anything._

_"I'll make you a deal," I began, using the only bearable option I could see, "How about you keep me and release the rest of the flock. I will do everything you say without a fight, and you can tell the others I'm dead so they won't try to rescue me. You will never touch them again, they will never see you again, and you get your experiment. I can grantee that if you kill them, I will go kicking a screaming all the way. It's your choice." I tried to keep my voice even, but venom seeped into my last sentence. _

_The whitecoat was quiet for a while, but rather he was thinking or listening to something in his earpiece I wasn't sure. Finally he spoke. "We will take this deal, Maximum Ride, and look forward to your cooperation." With that he turned to the door._

_"Wait!" I shouted, making him turn back to me. "When you tell my flock that I am dead and they are being released, give Fang this," I plucked a feather from my wing and handed it to the whitecoat, "And tell them I said this…"_

_End Flashback_

That was the last I knew of them. The whitecoat came back later, said they had been released, and took me for more experimenting. The days went on rather repetitively after that, in a blur of bleakness, terror, and pain, and the strong stench of blood.

The only reason I still know how old I am was because Jeb would always wish me a happy birthday, and actually give me a day of relaxation. At first, I could never stop thinking about the flock, but I managed to stop myself after a while. Whatever happened to them, I would never be with them again. I never asked about them, but I overheard a few things in the beginning, but after a year, the rest of the flock was forgotten. There was only me.

The thing I had heard was that they programmed fake memories of when I was exterminated into the whitecoat that informed the flock of my death, me giving him a feather and begging him to pass on my final words to my flock, all set up for Angel. It was both saddening for me that she had to see that, and yet relieving, because they wouldn't doubt that I was dead and come back.

I never lifted a finger against anything they did to me. I was terrified that they would track down the flock and either kill or capture them if I broke my side of the deal. Ari was still around to, and they had managed to extend his expiration date by a few years, so I often saw him wandering around the school, usually following Jeb. I never really took much notice of him, to focused on all the experiments on me, ect. I never expected him to end the way he did. The experiments were actually useful, at times. They got some better scientists, who were always giving me new powers, and almost never screwed up. Once a day I was taken into a field with high feces and an electric net over the top so I could train.

I was sixteen when Ari came to me one day, leaning on the top of my crate and leaning down to whisper to me. "I've got my expiration date again, and I want to get out of here. But I need your help. Are you game?"

I didn't even hesitate, even though a small part of me was shouting that it was a trap. "What's the plan?" I eyed his neck, and sure enough, I saw small black numbers.

"In three days time, I will take you to your training. Beforehand, I will turn off the electricity in the netting. Can you carry me over it?" He asked. Huh, not a bad plan.

"Yes," I responded with absolute confidence. And with that, Ari just nodded and kicked my cage before walking away, probably because there was a whitecoat rounding the corner. I saw him give Ari a look, but then he returned his attention to me. Great, another experiment. I wondered idly what power it was this time.

A few days later, Ari came to take me to training. He grabbed my arm and I walked the familiar route to the training grounds. It went very smoothly after that. I trained a while to warm up, then, without any warning, I grabbed Ari and flew straight through the netting, which was in fact un-electrified.

I poured on the speed, and the school was far behind us before long. I was free. _Free._ After so long of accepting my fate, it felt like I was suddenly turned back into that fourteen year old version of myself, strong and impenetrable. Accept, I was so much stronger. This was the part where Ari and I finally landed.

"So, Max, what all powers do you have?" Ari, who was much happier free, asked me a few days after out escape. "I was always wondering with how much they were experimenting on you."

I blocked out the memories of the stiff table and the bright light shining on me while masked whitecoats stood over me. "Well, I can lift 2000 pounds, and can fly normally carrying 1000 pounds, I can fly normally for 3 days, and with super speed for 2. My speed reaches 700 miles a minute while flying, and 600 on foot. All my senses are super-boosted, compared to before, I can move items with my mind, control the elements, and my newest power yet, I can change items into other items."

Ari just gawked at me for a moment. "…How much energy do you use to do these things!?" he asked, flabbergasted.

"Hardly any. I was specially trained to be able to use my powers like you can flick your finger. Without much energy, concentration, or difficulty." I marveled once again at how amazing my skills were. It certainly wasn't worth all I had been through, but it was pretty dang close.

It wasn't long after that that Ari's expiration date kicked in. I gave him a burial ceremony, and then tried to figure out my next move. I wanted to look for the flock, but I wasn't sure if that was a good idea. If itex was looking for me, and I was with the flock, they would find us all. On top of that, they thought I was dead. I wasn't even sure if I myself could handle being with them again after so long of erasing them from my mind.

Then, a light bulb went off in my head. I would look for Mom. Maybe the flock was with her… maybe. Just maybe. I flew straight towards Arizona, pouring on all my speed.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey again! I was surprised how much response I got from my first chapter. Thanks everyone!**

**Disclaimer: Need I say more?**

**IMPORTANT!!! Last chapter, when I expressed Max's top speed as being per minute, I made a mistake. I meant per hour. And I also only meant to give her telepathy abilities, not in addition to elemental powers and changing physical objects into another. Just Telepathy, the strength, the speed, the endurance, ect. Well, there will be more revealed/gained throughout the story. **

**And I meant to mention this, but this is after Breaking Dawn and StWaoES.**

**P.S. I don't own MR or Twilight**

**Max's POV**

I felt the wind rushing past me, my whole body a razor blade against the air. I closed my eyes, letting my instincts pilot my wings, and tried to conjure up a decent memory of my mother. She was a part of the memories that I had thrown out of my mind, left for nature to do whatever it pleased with. I finally had a breakthrough and had a crystal clear visual of Her, I, and…Ella, was it? Baking chocolate chip cookies, me burning my fingers and tongue by eating them immediately. I sighed wistfully, and realized I had been losing altitude. I opened my eyes to see her house, far off in the distance, almost instantaneously right in front of me, my wings folding into my back several feet from the ground, as I landed on my toes, barely making a sound.

I did a quick surveillance of the immediate area, and, upon seeing nothing awry, I proceeded to knock on the door. My heart beat just as loudly as the approaching footsteps that followed. Then, the door was open, but the one standing in the entryway was neither Mom, nor Ella, but an older male.

"Can I help you?" He asked in a low, raspy voice, which made it immediately evident that he was a smoker.

"Um, is Dr. Martinez here?" My voice was entirely unaffected by the wave of uneasiness that coursed over me. He just arched one of his eyebrows, which was the same dark brown as his cropped hair, and blinked at this inquiry. He seemed to be thinking, and finally a look of understanding came over his eyes.

"You mean that Hispanic chic that sold me this place? She moved out last summer after she got hitched." He said, leaning on the doorframe. I took several deep breaths in attempts to steady myself.

"Do you know where she moved to?" I asked, keeping my expression even. I figured I'd better listen to his thoughts to make sure he was telling the truth.

'Let's see…Where was it…some sort of utensil….Forks? Ah, that's right, Forks, Washington. But how do I know it's a good idea to tell her? She could have bad intentions…'

It took everything I had not to just take off running right then, saying as I already knew where to find my mother. My wings were aching for me to let them fly me, and I had the direction sketched out in my head. But I had to stay and finish the conversation. He finally spoke.

"I do not recall that ever being mentioned. Sorry, but I can't help you there." He said cautiously, not sounding sorry at all.

"Thanks anyway," I shouted over my shoulder, running painfully slowly, at human pace, until I got far enough away to fly.

A million thoughts flooded through my head up there, with the open sky, and my wings beating in the familiar pattern of flight. The largest, however, though it was closely seconded by who the heck mom got married to, and that whole story, was _do they think I'm dead._ I wondered if the flock had dropped by her, maybe even stayed a while, while Fang, as the new leader, recounted to a crying Mom and Ella what had happened. I felt a sudden uneasiness at thinking about the flock so much, and promptly pushed them out of my mind, focusing only on my mother and half-sister.

Not long afterward, I hit the rain. It is exceedingly more difficult, not to mention annoying, to fly in the rain, but is still considerably easy for me to do. It had been a while since then, when I landed. Not because I was there, but because my instincts told me that I needed to walk the rest of the way. Well actually, run, but since it was human pace, it might as well have been walking.

Suddenly, I came out of the mossy forest and found myself on a slick sidewalk, continuing on, letting my instincts sniff out the way. I stopped in front of a house that had a police cruiser and a shiny yellow car that I believe was a sports vehicle. Just standing there, staring at the house and contemplating knocking, I had a sudden flash of the first night I went to Moms, after I had gotten shot from saving Ella.

I took a deep breath and walked up to the front door, and before I could turn back, I rang the door bell. My pulse rate jumped as the adrenaline seeped into my system. The door opened. Once again, an adult male opened it, but I predicted that this was my new father. I realized I should be saying something.

"Is Dr. Martinez here?" I asked, and my voice had just the tiniest bit of shakiness to it.

"Sure…" He said, turning around. But in doing so, he revealed Ella. Our eyes locked, and she jumped up, and stumbled over to me, resting her hand on my shoulder.

"M-Max?" She stuttered. I nodded. And she flung herself against me, crying. She pulled me into the house, past a shocked step-father, and into a living room, which revealed two more females, who also looked shocked. Ella continued sobbing into my already rain-soaked shirt, and I just stood entirely still, paralyzed.

"Ella, what's wrong?" I heard my mother's voice break off behind me, and I slowly turned. Upon seeing my face, she brought a hand to her mouth, and shook her head.

Ella managed to choke out words, though they were very broken, through her sobbing, to say, "It's her, Mom. It's Max." At this, mom broke down crying, too.

I think I heard someone say "What?" but I was to concentrated on the two bawling relatives whose faces were on my shoulders. I rigidly lifted my arms, and wrapped them loosely around them, one on Ella, one on Mom, and slowly pulled them tighter. I don't know how long we stood there, but gradually, their sobbing gave way to hiccups and sniffles, until they pulled away and sat down on the couch, pulling me between them. The two females and one male were still there, watching us with concerned expressions on their faces.

We sat in silence for a while, before Ella finally spoke.

"We thought you were dead." She said simply, but in a way that indicated that I had to explain why. I saw the others react to this. Concerned shock, interest, and puzzlement. Mom saw me staring at them, and, hastily, she gave each a name. The male was Charlie, the female with long brown hair was Bella, and the female with short cropped, spiky hair was Alice.

"Get them out." I said simply, earning me more shocked faces from Charlie, Bella, and Alice.

"Now hold on!" Charlie protested, "What is going on here?"

From the look on her face, she must have just realized that she forgot about me not knowing she was married, and tried to tell me. "Max, sweetie, Charlie and I are married." She said, her voice rough from sobbing.

"I know." I responded, my face still in the same expression it had been in since I first was dragged through the door.

"What?" She trilled, her voice straining and breaking to reach such a high octave.

"Must I explain?" I sighed, picking the answer out of her head, "How do you think I found you? First I went to your old house in Arizona, where the new owner said that you had moved out after getting hitched. When I got here, Charlie was the only male, and old enough, so I assumed it was him. From the way the brown haired female keeps glancing at him, I'm assuming she's his daughter, but I have no idea what the other female's relationship is." I droned.

Everyone just stared at me, and then Alice started laughing, a strange trilling sound that made me shift away from her. She and Bella looked surprised at this, and Alice stopped laughing.

"You're very perceptive. Good job. I'm Bella's sister in law. She married my brother." Alice said, her voice making me flinch. This caused another exchange of surprised glances between the girls.

"Now, who exactly are you?" Charlie asked, an accusatory tone in his question.

"I'm Max. Maximum Ride." I replied simply.

Mom sighed, and answered again. "She's my daughter and Ella's half sister, and now, you're step daughter."

Charlie, my new step father, as well as Bella and Alice, my new step sisters, stared at me now, assessing me with this new information, as if it would suddenly change everything about me. Charlie walked over and reached his hand out to either pat my back, or pull me in for a hug. This is when I panicked. Whatever he was doing, he was going to feel my wing, so my instincts took over and I slapped his hand away, using more power than was probably safe for him.

I inched away until my back was against a wall, and everyone else in the room froze, staring at me in disbelief. "Don't touch me." I hissed, my voice a low growl. Everyone's eyes just got wider. I looked at Charlie's hand, and realized what I had done. I was immediately ashamed. I looked down at the floor. "I'm sorry." I whispered. Then, turning to Mom, I added, "I'll be back" and then I ran out the door. I was going a little faster than the regular human speed, but I figured it could be passed off as being fast. I dashed into the forest, which offered a slight covering from the rain. Not that it mattered, for the small percentage that I had dried while inside was immediately re-soaked when I ran out.

I kept running, going deeper and deeper into the forest, until I felt safe enough. I could even hear a river in the distance. I climbed the tree, rather than fly up it, until I reached a high enough spot, and settled in the crook of the branch. The sad part was that here, sitting in the familiar bed of a tree, even though it was raining, was far more comfortable than the dog crate.

Out of habit, I murmured my lullaby, my prayer, which I would say every night. It was my wish, my soul desire for my flock. "Run, forever, fly, fly, forever, never let them catch you, ever."

Somewhere in the distance, a wolf howled, and my long night began.


	3. Chapter 3

**Still Max's POV**

I laid there, half asleep, in what was more of a daze than slumber, really, and listened for a long time. The wolf howls grew closer, and my nerves were becoming a frayed mess. I was having all to vivid flash backs of erasers, and then I would be back at the new house, watching myself slap Charlie's hand away. It was like a slideshow on the back of my eyelids, guilt, terror, remorse, blood, predator, prey, and it went on and on. I must have relived a thousand memories, the erasers becoming more vivid as the howls grew louder and closer.

I opened my eyes, dispelling the illusion, and was dismayed to find the night almost exactly the same. Not more than half an hour could have passed. A sigh broke through my lips, and I leaned back on my elbows. I just stared up at the clouded sky, wishing more than anything to see the stars again, a sight that I had been denied for two years. I barely even remember what it looks like.

I closed my eyes again, and surprisingly, my thoughts drifted towards the flock. _My_ flock. I was so worried about them, because I had broken my side of the deal. I wondered if the flock was still safe, still free, and I wondered how Fang was holding up being the new leader. Of course, I guess it wasn't new anymore, saying as his leadership was two years running, but I still couldn't help but think of it as new. In my heart, it would always be my job.

Another howl pierced through my thoughts, and caused me to spring out of my slouch and into an alert position. It was incredibly close, and couldn't have been more than a mile off. I heard heavy paws against the soft, muddy ground, and the crunching of pulverized leaves. There was also a soft squishing sound, which I assumed was made by the moss. Suddenly, with a loud clash of sound, a huge, russet red wolf burst through the foliage. I sucked in a surprised breath with my teeth, and the wolf skidded to a halt in front of me, a panicked look in his (I'm assuming the gender) eyes. He looked horror stricken to see me there, several feet above him in the tree.

Instinctively, I plunged into his head, not realizing I had until thoughts flooded from his mind to mine. It was a strange mishmash of several voices, all thinking separately, yet together. It was rather confusing.

_There's a girl! There's a girl here! _

_What is a girl doing _there?

_She's in danger!_

_Get her out, Jake!_

_And how do you suggest I do that?_

_I don't know! Get her on your back or something! Carry her in your teeth if you have to! Just get her away from there! _

_Jake, I hate to suggest this, but the vampires probably going to follow her scent. You can just carry on with the plan, and bring her with you…_

_And use her as a decoy? What if she gets hurt?_

I couldn't help snorting at that one. The wolf, who I suppose is named Jake, looked back to me, a hint of confusion in his expression.

_What is up with this human? Why isn't she afraid of you?_

_You ask him like he knows._

I couldn't help it. I flat out laughed at that one. Before digging in his mind again, I climbed down off the tree, and hopped onto his back. "Let's go, Jake." I said gripping his neck fur to secure myself. There was silence in his mind for a moment, and then it started again.

_What the hell?_

They all said this, though the choice of cuss words varied.

_…What the hell? _Jake repeated. I think he was trying to twist his head to look at me, though that was unsuccessful. Shocker there.

_Jake, we can worry about this later. You need to get back on the move!_

_Right._

And then we were moving again. It was fast, I admit, but not quite as fast as I could run. After several minutes, we reached a clearing, where two more wolves sat with their backs to us. Though they were both considerably smaller than Jake, they were still much larger than regular wolves. The smallest was a sleek silver wolf, obviously female. The other was a larger, more masculine wolf, male, who's pelt was a stormy grey.

In that moment, when we bounded over, completing the triangle, all three of the wolf's backs facing towards the center, I wondered why I had immediately trusted them. They could have been some new breed of eraser. Perhaps it was the humor, which was almost inconceivable for an eraser, or anyone raised by the school, to poses. Or maybe it was my way of trying to make-up for the way I had treated my step-relatives at the house. It could even have possibly been purely that my gut felt no wariness towards these massive creatures. Their thoughts broke through mine.

_How to explain the plan? Someone could phase back…_

_No. That's too dangerous. What if he comes when their human?_

I decided, first of all, that to save the trouble I would just tell them I could read minds. Second of all, I wanted to know what they meant about fazing human. Just in case the enemy they spoke of was in hearing distance, I spoke into their heads.

_Hi. Go ahead and explain the plan. Just think it. I'll hear._

Silence. Almost like a wordless shock.

_Umm, okay, look, I'll explain later. As long as you do, too. Especially that phasing human part._

More silence ensued, and finally, Jake nodded his head.

_Okay. There will definitely be some explaining later._

_Focus. Tell me the plan. I know I am the decoy, but what do you need me to do?_

_We're fighting a vampire. More on that later. Point is, it will be drawn to the scent of your blood-_

_Will it help if I bleed?_

_Well, yes, but it's not necessary… No! Jake, stop her!_

_Seriously, it's no trouble. It's not like it hurts._

_But it would make it more difficult for us._

_Look, just forget it, girl. Jake, continue on with the plan._

_Yea, right. Anyway, so when she comes for you, Leah will circle around-_

_Leah is the sleek silver female?_

I could tell she was pleased with this depiction.

_Yes, I am._

_Uh-huh…So Leah will circle around and tackle it, while Seth heads it off from the side. I join the attack then. Will you be too scared if I leave you unguarded?_

_No. _I didn't offer any more explanation than that. I did not feel any need to do so.

Before he had time to say anything else, a pale male appeared in the clearing, his searing red eyes locked on me. His model like appearance reminded me of unmorphed erasers.

"Hey, babe. Why don't you ditch the big, scary werewolves and come with me? I won't hurt you." His satin like voice seemed to glide across the very air.

"You know, somehow, I am having a hard time believing that." I stated simply.

His eyes widened innocently and he pointed at his face. "Would this face lie to you?"

I mirrored his actions. "Would this face kick your ass?"

He did not respond, and instead continued to hold my gaze.

"Not answering? Here I'll do it for you; yes and yes." I sneered, and then, Leah and Seth toppled him over, and Jake slid me from his back to join them. I readied myself to help if anything went awry, but that was not necessary. It was not very long before a noxious fire burned, sending a thick, purple smoke upwards into the rainy sky.

_Hey, girl! We'll be right back. We're going to faze human._

The amount of time that took was minimal. Almost as fast as it would have taken me to circle the clearing…twice if I kept a human pace.

Jake and Seth were arguing about something, I could have listened but I tuned them out. I instead gave them all a one over, assessing them. They were all tall, but Leah was slightly shorter than my own tall build, and muscley. They had olive skin and black hair. While neither of the males were looking at me, Leah watched me intensely, her eyes probing.

_Trying to figure me out?_ I asked her in her head, and found a small amount of amusement from the utter shock in her expression. She didn't answer me. Oh well, it wasn't really important. The boys reached me, still arguing, and sat down in front of me, Leah not far behind. I sat down, too, and they stopped their conversation and turned their eyes to me. Well, mostly, for Seth had his eyes shut in laughter, and he reached a hand out to pat my shoulder. I stood rigidly, froze by the action, and had to consciously hold myself in place, to keep from sidestepping or flinching.

"That…was really funny...when he asked you…if his face would lie to…you…" He choked out between his guffaws. He opened his eyes, and instantly froze, just like I had. I took this opportunity to step away from his grip, in what I hoped was a polite movement.

Leah and Jake looked at him, their eyes wide in absolute shock. "No way," Leah whispered, her voice stiff, just like her posture. Seth didn't even look at her. He was still staring at me, his gaze intent.

I shrunk back from him involuntarily. He was frightening me, as much as I was loath to admit it. I was desperate to change the topic, from whatever it was.

"How is it that you are both human and wolf?" I asked simply, cutting straight to the point. There answer was long and detailed, almost a complete contradiction to the format of my question.

"So, in short, you are shape shifters that can morph into the form of giant wolves." I was somehow not surprised. I had seen too much in my lifetime to leave much room for doubt. Leah nodded in affirmation.

"Now what's the deal with you?" Leah narrowed her eyes at me.

"Hmm, that's quite a long story. What specifically do you want to know?" I asked, hoping to avoid explaining my life story.

Jake said, "Just two things; why you were in that tree in the dead of night and why you can read our minds."

Seth, at the same time as Jake, said in a strange tone, "All of it." Then they looked at each other. I decided to answer Jake for obvious reasons.

"I'm something of a lab rat. Telepathy was grafted into my DNA. As for the tree…Let's just say I had to get out." Jake nodded, as if this made perfect sense. Leah was not as pleased with my response.

"Why do you keep being so vague? You're totally avoiding the questions!" Her voice came out in a rage, practically tinting the air red. Seth nodded to second this.

Birds started chirping, and my attention was called to the time. "Shoot! I have to get back." I shouted, panicking slightly. I had not meant to be out this long. "Ugh, Mom's probably having a fit by now." That sounded normal enough to say. I also silently added that I hopped Charlie was okay.

I jumped up, and started walking out of the clearing, back to the forest, calculating how far I would need to go before it was safe to take off. "Wait!" Seth shouted, jogging over to catch up with me. Jake and Leah followed. "You were in the woods pretty deep," He paused for a moment, "no pun intended, when Jake found you. He rode you a lot deeper in, too. It would take you about an hour to get back. Let us give you a ride."

I had to physically restrain the retort that I had perched on my tongue. I searched my intuition, trying to find any signs of doubt in my body, but when I came out empty, I decided to accept the offer. Perhaps Jake's pack could become somewhat of an ally to me.

"Sure. Are you taking me in wolf form or in human?"

"Human." Seth's response was immediate, almost too fast. I raised my eyebrow, but said nothing. He was suddenly right next to me, and reached down to pull me into his arms. I didn't react until he was holding me against his bare chest, bridal style. I couldn't help it. He terrified me, and I didn't think, I just moved. I grabbed his arm from under me, twisted out of his grip, and flipped his lightweight body do that he landed face-first into the dirt. I backed away then, in a flash of movement, to pull myself into a fighting stance, trying to stop the shaking that jerked my limbs this way and that.

A full thirty seconds passed, with Jake and Leah's shocked expressions flipping between Seth, crumpled and unmoving on the ground, and me. This is also the amount of time it took for me to realize what I had done. I gasped, bringing my hands to my mouth, and then away to shout, "Oh, no, Seth! Seth, I'm so sorry!"

Seth finally responded, dragging himself into an upright position. "That hurt!" he moaned, "That actually HURT."

"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to do that! Please tell me you're okay." I choked.

Seth just laughed. "I should be the one apologizing, for scaring you like that. I'm shocked that you were able to do that. I'll probably have a bruise or something. Of course, it will be gone by noon."

I was impressed. They healed almost twice as fast as I did. Looking over, I saw Jake and Leah watching him with a calculating expression.

"I do have one question though. What was up with your back? It felt really weird." Seth continued. Jake and Leah just raised their eyebrows as if to say, _that's an odd question_ and turned their gaze to me. This paralyzed me entirely. My eyes were frozen wide, and I could feel the instinct to run, could almost picture what it would be like. I could even already feel my feet pounding against the forest floor. But they had trusted me with their secret.

I was still wavering when a ringing echoed across the clearing, drawing all eyes to Jake, who was fumbling with his pocket. He brought a cell phone to his ear, saying, "This is Jake." He was silent for a moment, and his eyes flashed to me. "Calm down Charlie." I flinched. This did not go unnoticed. "Look, that's not necessary. Well, she was out in the woods, and I ran into her. We were just on our way. We'll be there soon." He snapped the cell phone shut, and I could feel his gaze, penetrating, on me. I couldn't see it, however, because I was looking at the ground.

"Could you please," Jake began, "tell me why _Charlie_ was about to send a search party to look for you?" Leah's head snapped over to look at me.

"Well, it could have something to do with the fact that I have been away all night." I retorted sarcastically. Seth snorted.

Jake just rolled his eyes. "Yes, but how do you even know Charlie?"

"Through Ella and Dr. Martinez." I replied. This was not technically a lie. "Anyway, let's get back." I thanked my lucky feathers for the interruption.

**Sorry for the abrupt ending. This is actually a heck of a lot longer than I thought it would be. Hopefully I'll be able to get the next chapter up by Saturday. It would really suck if I couldn't, because on Sunday I leave for a three week camp at the University of Kansas for a creative writing class on the Duke TIP program. Wish me luck! And thanks to all the people who bother to review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys! I am sooo sorry for the long time it took me to update, but I've had very limited computer access, since we moved and are currently in temp. Housing. The only reason I am able to update this soon is because I got a flash drive. Thanks for being patient!! (Unlike me)**

**Max POV**

Due to the circumstances, I had no choice but to let Seth carry me back. This was impossibly frustrating since I knew that me and my handy-dandy wings could get back faster that the wolves could, in addition to the fact that I just plain didn't like being carried. But with a sigh of resignation I allowed Seth to pick me up and sling me into his arms. I made sure his hand supported my shoulder and not my back.

"Man, you are _light!_" Seth said, "What are you? Anorexic? Or did I just get stronger?" Just the thought of me being anorexic made me laugh. It didn't last long though, and it stuck as it went up my throat, making it sound sarcastic and harsh. Quite an improvement, if I do say so myself. Leah, however, glowered at me for it, and I picked up her thoughts which mistook the tenor of the sound as mockery.

"Sorry," I said, but I wasn't sure if it was for Seth or Leah, "that caught in my throat." Seth just brushed it off, and I didn't have time to see what Leah's reaction was, because we were off, racing through the trees. I didn't like that it was their instinct that guided me, and not mine. Oh well. My life can't really get any more screwed up, can it? But my muscles still remained tense.

As the house came into view, I could hear pacing from inside. And voices. There were a few I didn't recognize.

"You can put me down now, you know," I said, addressing Seth.

"Oh, right," He said, but still kept me locked in his hold until we reached the front door. Then he released me as I twisted out of his embrace-like hold.

I stood there, staring at the door and trying to figure out if I should knock or just go right in. It was technically my house, too, but at the same time, it wasn't. Jake solved this miniature dilemma by barging in himself, the walls reverberating his loud voice that called, "Charlie, we're here!"

The conversation in the other room abruptly stopped, and we walked into the room they were all in. I went straight to Mom, who pulled me into a tight hug until I turned away to apologize to Charlie. Who was standing on the other side of the room. With a man. Who wore a white coat.

I immediately backed up to the wall, flattened against it, and couldn't keep in the violent shakes that rippled through my body. I noticed that my Mom approached me, cautiously, trying to console me, but then everything fell away, leaving just the white coat and me.

"So, you found me," I managed to choke out. "Did you come to take me back, or just kill me? Well, I'm telling you right now you won't accomplish either." I didn't even bother to keep the snarl out of my words. I forced my body to stop convulsing, and shifted my position into a fighting stance that, at the flick of a switch, would allow me to either attack or escape. The cage of restraining arms resurrected the rest of the world. I whipped my head around to see Ella and Mom trying to hold me back.

"Max! Max, calm down! It's alright. That's Carlisle. He's your uncle. Who happens to be a doctor. It's okay," I heard the coaxing voice of my mother trying frantically to calm my fears. "He came to examine Charlie's hand." I flinched, and looked around me, trying my best to ignore the expressions on everyone's faces. I did my best to calm down, reminding myself three times every second that I trusted Mom, trusted her judgment. She wouldn't hurt me. She wouldn't let anyone else hurt me. But I could still feel adrenalin shivering its way through my body, could hear it just as loudly in my ears as any white coat knocking on the top of my crate. Mom and Ella still clung to my arms, almost desperately, their eyes just as locked on my as their hold, their gazed wide and scared. I turned my head away from them, and back to the sickening white coat who stood, perplexed, in the other side of the room.

Finally, I relented, sliding from the now loosened hold of my understanding mother and half-sister.

I reached out, slowly, and creped forward until I reached Charlie. "I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to… I just reacted. Is your hand okay?" I asked, while keeping an eye on Carlisle the whole time.

It was Carlisle who answered first. "It's fractured. How did you manage to do that?"

I looked anywhere but at him, attempted to pretend I hadn't heard him. I noticed Bella and Alice looking at me. From Bella's expression, which was more of a glower, she must've been really pissed. At me. I noticed that the pack was staring at me, then Charlie, and then back at me. I sighed, turning to face Carlisle. When I met his eye, I felt myself cringe away.

"I, uh, well, he startled me." I stuttered. I immediately heard the gasp of understanding from the pack. Give them a prize; they figured it out.

"Oh Max. What did they do to you?" Ella murmured, her thumb stroking the back of my hand.

Still unused to touch that was anything other than painful, I flinched away. I turned my eyes to the window, almost wishing I could jump out it to avoid this question. But Ella's voice came back, so strong and forceful, full of intense anger, saying, "Max! What. Did. They. Do. To. You?"

Memories, which I tried frantically to suppress, were pushing into my mind, ghosts of wounds and tears that my throat strained to hold. Spirits of the blood and love that I had shed in those horrible corridors. The face of one person whose name was the equivalent as satin's, dad. And then, like a lightning bolt while flying through a storm cloud, it hit me.

I looked up at Ella, my serious eyes meeting hers.

"I have to leave. I don't know why I even came here," my words came sullen and venomous, as though I were conversing with an upbeat white coats assistant who was upbeat and preppy as she explained just how big the needle was. I pulled away from her, heading towards the door, which was blocked by a shocked yet determined pack of wolves. So instead I turned towards the window, when I felt Ella latch on to my waist. She looked up at me, hurt pouring from her water-lined eyes.

"Why?" she asked, her voice breaking, "Why?" she repeated, louder and clearer this time.

"Because it's only a matter of time before they find me. And I _can't _be here when that happens."

"Yes you can!" Mom insisted, her face appearing next to Ella's.

It was then, of course, right then, with my face turned away from the window when it shattered into tiny fragmented shards, whose knives I could feel burrowing into my skin.


	5. Chapter 5

***Cries tears of happiness* I have my computer back!!! Thank you so much for the lovely reviews of encouragement, they mean so much to me!**

**You can expect much more frequent updates! (Now that I have my computer back)**

**Max POV (who else?)**

Through the veil of glass rain, and the trails of blood that it left on my skin, soaking through my worn tennis shoes, the sting of their cold, prickling kisses lost in the fear of what lay beyond the passage which used to be a barrier. I watched, a trickle of breath barely wisping in and out of my lungs.

What met my eyes was a mob of brand-spanking new erasers. The updated version. Of course, to the untrained eye, they were just really hot dudes, but I had seen enough unmorphed erasers to be able to tell. The one standing in the front was Destin, the eraser who had been my body guard for the last few months. I knew immediately that we were all in trouble. The bad kind.

Destin's eyes scanned us all over until they settled on me.

"Ah, Maxie. Why don't you come on home? Poor little daddy misses your pretty face!" He said, smiling manically. I felt myself shift so that I stood between the erasers and my family.

"Too bad for him. I don't miss his ugly one," I sneered. I could feel my lips curling back protectively from my teeth.

"Tsk tsk Max. What would your mother think of that snippy little attitude of yours?" he asked, leaning forward in anticipation. Rather it was for attack or my answer I wasn't sure. Of course, then I remembered my mind powers, so I just pulled the answer from his thoughts. Which was, as usual, exceptionally hard from his mind-reader resistance enhanced brain. But I managed to find out all the same. And the answer was a fight.

"Actually, I think she would be rather proud," I bit back, my voice mildly smug.

My mother, leaning to her side so that she could be seen more clearly around me, added, "Oh, I am definitely proud." From the sudden look of recognition, the "Oh!" expression that lit up Destin's face, I felt my lungs freeze and my body shift to cover her better.

"Oh, Maxie, you've run to your mommy, is that it? It would be a shame for something awful to happen to her, now wouldn't it?" His smile grew psychotic.

Seth stepped forward, anger clear in his eyes and shaking limbs, saying, "You can't just bust open the window and start threatening Max and her family!"

"Stay out of this!" I snapped at Seth, before turning to Destin. My venomous tone remained the same as I said, "Don't touch her. Or any of them."

"Or else what, Max? What could they have possibly done to you to make you stronger than us? Or will you strike the same deal, again, that you'll come quietly if we let the rest of them go free? Maybe you can make them cry like that little blond wench and her brother! Or the black and blind idiots! Maybe you can even make them cry like the emo kid!"

The pain that twisted my heart was so immediate and breathtaking, that even my reflexes were unable to cage it. I knew the emotions played themselves across my face just as clearly as the weather did outside of someone's bedroom window. If you are lucky enough to have a bedroom, let alone a window in it.

"No. I'm stronger now than I was then," I said, my voice starting soft, but growing stronger throughout the sentence. "Now, let me say this again. You. Will. Not. Touch. Any. Of. Them."

Destin just smiled, his lips curling in a spiteful, angry way, before he responded. "We'll see about that."

He morphed as he ran towards me, the mob behind him following suit.

**Sorry for how short these last two chapters have been! My next chapters will be longer, these last ones are just short for storyline purposes. **

**Thank you so much reviewers!! It means a lot to me to hear people reflect on my writing and my ideas. Please give feedback with you opinions!!! Those kinds of reviews help me to become a better writer!**

**Love and (please insert your favorite food here),**

**~Kat**

**P.S. for me, it would be "Love and fried rice"**

**Kick my butt till I get the next chapter up ;D**


	6. Chapter 6

**Everyone, I am so, so sorry that it has taken me this long to update. For the last few months, sitting down to write has felt like jumbling up ten different 1000 piece puzzles and then trying to put one of them together. Frustrating, painful, and impossible. So I've been avoiding writing for a while, but the other day, the old writer's frenzy suddenly and randomly overtook me, and here I am, simultaneously eating ice cream and typing to celebrate.**

**MAX**

Adrenaline flooded my body, seeping into my brain and limbs to give me a fast, precisional speed that was invigorating. I waited until Destin was directly in front of me before delivering a powerful yet graceless kick directly up into his wolfish jaw (which was more of a muzzle, really) sending him flying and leaving me in a one-foot-on-the-ground-the-other-in-the-air-split.

It took everyone else a while to react. Ella was the first to move, followed by mom. Probably just used to this kind of thing, I guess. Charlie was pulled behind some furniture to hide along with them. I think Carlisle went with them, but my attention was drawn back to the attacking horde of mutant freaks. Not that I have the right to judge. But hey, they're _evil _mutant freaks. There is a big difference, thank you very much.

Then everything just fell into rhythm. You can_not _do this kind of thing for your whole life without finding one. No matter how frenzied, calm, or half-asleep you are, it always comes back, guiding you however faintly from some recesses of your mind. And that's what came to me now.

It was almost numbing, the methodic, repetitive maneuvers of battle. Throw a punch here, trip someone there, throw someone into someone else, and watch my back. I quickly ignored the sensation of loss, for Fang, who used to do that for me. But soon, I figured out that one of the wolves had filled in for him. For me, I mean. Before I could muster up the concentration to register the coat color (and thus, the identity) I had to whip around to fight the approaching erasers.

I couldn't tell how long I had been fighting. But suddenly, through the gap in ugly, human-lupine faces I saw him. Destin. Stepping through the jagged frame of window remnants.

"NO!" I shouted, flying (not literally, people. Still using four limbs, here) through the mass of attackers, shoving and mind-controlling them out of my way. But I was still too late. The sunlight reflected off of the two silver knives that were flying out of his hands. I jumped up, using my foot to press one knife against the floor, affectively halting it, before racing towards the next. My mother's horror-filled face reflected on its sparkling surface, the angle on it changing rapidly as it flew nearer.

But it was too far away. I knew I wouldn't be able to catch it. So I gathered my energy and jumped, throwing my arms over my head streamline style.

_It worked, _I thought, my voice seeping into an emotionless monotone, even in my head. _It worked. _

The pain felt like my old buddy, Mr. Skull-splitting headache, was back. Only, this time, it surrounded my chest, and shot through the rest of my body like the electrical currents you got from being tazered. (I speak from experience) Suddenly, heat was crushing me. I felt hot, and wet, and it weighed down on my chest, choking me. I sighed in relief upon seeing my mom, totally fine, bending over me. I felt deflated, after letting go of so much air, and I just couldn't get any of it back. I just couldn't drink down the sky like I always had, in easy gulps. But maybe that was just the blood loss talking.

I had the urge to cover my ears. There was so much shouting, and it was just…too loud. I registered vaguely that the place where Destin was standing, was now I giant, furry lump. Oh, wait, it was moving. And then the shadow of it brightened enough for me to realize it was storm-gray.

"Max…" Ella whimpered, turning my eyes to her face, well, not _technically _her face, since it was buried in mom's shoulder, but still. When did Ella get here, anyway? I didn't seen her arrive. I tried to say something, to tell her everything was alright, but I couldn't find my voice. And suddenly, I just didn't care. My vision blurred around the edges, taking away my peripherals. Oh well. So what? I could feel my mind fading. Wait. Why is it so dark? I tried to look around, and light fluttered into my eyes. Oh. My eyes were closed. I didn't tell them to do that. Did I?

The numbing fog I was under vanished, and a sharp, shooting, immediate pain screamed from my chest, making my whole body follow it up. A blood-drenched knife clamored to the floor beside my head, its surface showing me nothing but a dark-wet looking shade of red.

And then, as if the knife had been holding down my consciousness, I mind came flooding back to me. The deep knife wound penetrating my abdomen, my clothes, dyed the same shade of red as the blade, the pack which was approaching us from the clear of erasers (albeit battle-scarred) woods behind the house, their human arms pumping beside their tan-skinned and minimally clothed bodies as they ran.

I saw the white out of my peripheral vision (which was back) and realization crashed down on me.

"Dr. Martinez, can you please remove her windbreaker so I can treat her wound?" Carlisle asked, his calm voice coming from beside me. _Right_ beside me. It was the threat of taking away my windbreaker that delayed me from scrambling away.

Mom's face looked conflicted for a moment, but then she nodded at him. I was only wearing a tank top under this. There wasn't even a chance that that would hide my wings. Everyone would see them. He would _know. _And he was a whitecoat.

"NO!!" I shouted, shoving mom's hand away as it approached me.

"Max…" She whispered. I knew that tone. The this-is-for-your-own-good-so-I-have-to-do-this tone.

"Don't mom," I sucked in a breath, "please," another, "please don't."

"I'm sorry Max," She said, yanking her hand down the zipper, and reaching to pull it off. Didn't she know how fast my reflexes were?

"NO!" I cried again, leaping up onto my feet and away from her reach. I clutched my windbreaker against me as if it were a lifeline. Which of course, it was. Carlisle is a whitecoat. I felt fresh movement-jostled blood seep out of my wound.

"Max, stop! You'll kill yourself!" Carlisle said, his voice fluttering with panic around the calmness.

"No, I won't." I said certainly. I knew the extent my body could go. A normal person would die, sure. But me? It takes more to kill a hybrid then a simple knife wound. Look at Ari. Everyone was circling around. Mom was trying to approach, probably to talk what she thought was reason into me, Ella, the pack…they were all close. Way, way too close. I felt my claustrophobia quickening my pulse, only making my blood leak faster.

Carlisle seemed to realize this, because he told everyone to back off, doctor's orders.

"You can either let me leave, or I'll have to leave forcefully. Which will it be?" I asked, as calmly as I could.

The pack just adjusted their stance, ready to hold me down at the drop of a hat. But I looked directly into my mother's eyes. She knew what I was capable of. She knew what lengths I would go to to protect my secret. I saw the defeat on her face.

"Let her go." She said, barely above a whisper. But everyone heard her. I knew from the shock on their faces.

"But I could catch her!" Leah burst out. Seth looked absolutely traumatized, and Jake just looked…sympathetic? What happened? The question perched itself on the tip of my tongue, ready to be spoken as quickly as some sarcastic comment. But I swallowed it back. I needed to focus on escape.

I started walking to the broken window, stopping on my way out to snatch a roll of bandages. I know that Carlisle saw me take it, but he seemed more relieved about it then mad. I tried not to flinch when Leah started moving to stop me. Ella, my wonderful step-sister, who I love so much at this moment, moved her arm in front of her approaching figure. Her face was grave, and took only a brief lapse of total focus on me to turn her head to stare down Leah.

I walked out the window, and painfully continued walking until I was well, well out of their vision. Not even I would have been able to see myself from their position. Then I broke out into a full on run.

I heard them before they were even a mile away. Three sets of heavy footsteps and deep, wolfish panting. I ignored the lure of reading their minds and shook off my windbreaker, spreading my wings speeding away.


	7. Chapter 7

**MAX**

It was painful to fly. My wings pumping up and down in the air jostled knife-cut muscles, and it got worse with every wing stroke. On the one hand, I could suck it up and fly as fast as I could to get it over with, and on the other, I could level out and ride the wind. But I knew that I couldn't fly for long. Even though I am a super-powered mutant, I needed to treat my wound soon. I could tell the edges were already knitting themselves together, so I needed to stop the bleeding and clean it out so it could heal.

To do that, I would need a water source.

I scoped out the land as I flew over it, listening as hard as I could. Finally, when my mind was begging me to just pass out already, I heard it. The soft gurgling of a streambed as it whispered its way through the forest. With a gusting sigh, I let myself drift to the ground, not really having enough strength to fight the wind. Therefore, I looked like a feather dropped over a cliff, twisting and swaying as I slowly descended.

I took the time to carefully peel away my windbreaker before stepping into the river. I was fairly sure I would be safe, since nobody was around, and as long as I was paying attention, I would hear someone coming from over a mile off.

I stepped onto a smooth-looking rock, the water swirling frigidly around my ankles. The iciness felt sweet and rejuvenating against my skin, taking away my fatigue and the hot, choking feeling in my chest.

I took another step, the water rising until it surrounded my knees. The stream whispered to me as it rolled smoothly over me and the land, quieting my fears and reminding me that I had won. No one had gotten hurt because of me, except for me. _Just as it should be, _I thought.

This last step I took plunged me into the crystalline depths of the fresh, salt less water. (Which I was glad about. Salt? I might have actually passed out.)

The water prodded at my wound with gentle fingers, its playful mood switching to that of deep concern. Bobbing ripples on the surface slid past me, washing my pain to flow with the current, far away from me. I let out a sigh as comfort washed over me. The river echoed me, a relieved smile evident from my friend.

I closed my eyes to assess the damage that had been done in my chest. I gasped as I realized that it had gone straight through me heart. That explained why it had been bleeding so much.

There was a barely audible, high pitched note, which echoed through my bones as well as the forest. I felt water wrap her cool arms around me in a smooth, caress-like embrace. The water around me glowed for the briefest of moments, the water appearing as if the sun had sparkled on its surface before once again being obscured by clouds. I looked up, registering the crisp, gray-blue sky before a smile twitched up the corners of my lips.

I felt the life pouring into me like a blood transfusion, and touched my fingertips to my chest, right where the hole was in my tank top. I felt skin that was smooth and cold, as though made of porcelain. But it was soft, and seamlessly flowed into the rest of my skin, which felt exactly the same.

I threw my arms out, as though embracing an invisible person, but I felt the water swirl up and still in my arms for a moment, felt the pressure against my sides and pressing the bottom of my wings into my back.

"Thank you," I sighed, my voice bubbling up my throat and blending with the gurgling voice of the dancing waters.

I eased my way out of the stream, the bitter goodbye perched on my tongue. My voice was echoed back to me from the surface of the stream, the regret-filled tone of it sounding higher, more melodic as it echoed back.

I studied my reflection as I pulled my windbreaker. My clothes were sopping wet and permanently stained dark red. My hair flowed down to my waist, a shade of brown somewhere between light and dark. I was annoyed it had gotten so long. Surprise, surprise, I hadn't exactly gotten the chance to cut it in say…the last four years or so. I was taller than I remembered, my face more angular. Through my water-logged jeans I could see my hip bones protruding widely from (where else?) my hips. My tank top, in its wet state, stretched uncomfortably tight around my chest. No matter how long I stared at the hole in my shirt, though, it was still unharmed skin. No gaping hole, no blood, not even a scar. Just regular skin, as though the knife wound had been a dream. Finally, I studied my eyes. They were a crystalline, aquatic blue. The lingering effects of the water's powers.

I remember when the scientists tried to give me the power to control water. I was so scared that it would kill me. They were trying to do it through some complicated re-wiring of my nervous system. Not that I tried to understand it. I just tried to survive it. After I had (just barely-it put in something like a coma for a week) they found out it wasn't quite like they had planned it. It gave me some sort of affinity for water, some connection to it. I could understand water's thoughts and language. After that, she grew an attachment to me, and says that I'm her best friend. But I can't actually _control _her. I can ask her to do things, but water has a mind of its own. She'll do what she wants. Though, she does love helping me. Rather it's something I've asked her to do or not. (i.e. healing my wound.)

Through the thin, mist-like cloud covering, I could see the rich colors of sunset camo-pattern itself across the horizon. Wow. Destin had attacked in the morning, right? Dang, I must have been flying for a lot longer than I thought. I had made my estimate around three times smaller than what it had felt like, since I was wounded. Time always passes slower when you're in pain. I'd been here at the river for an hour, at least. I think. Was that longer than I had been here, or less?

_Note to self: Get internal clock fixed. And while I'm at it, fix my internal compass so it doesn't squeak anymore, _I thought sarcastically.

Looking down at my chest, again, I decided to bandage it. Not because it needed it, but to keep anyone else from seeing it. I did not want to explain how a fatal wound (or at least, a would-be fatal wound, if I was totally human) was entirely healed without so much as a scratch within twenty-four hours.

So I sat down, and once again making sure I was alone, stripped off my jacket and tank before wrapping the bandage securely and thickly around my torso, carefully avoiding my wings. Let me tell you, NOT EASY. It was a fading fast twilight by the time I put my shirt back on and started flying back.

Measuring the time it took me to get back, I realized that I must have flown a fourth of the way across the Country before I got to that river. Of course, I had been flying impossibly slowly, trying to avoid pain. At top speed, I got back a lot faster. I really need a watch, so I can tell exactly how long these things take.

I landed carefully around four or five miles out from mom's house. I folded my wings tightly against my back, pulling my windbreaker over them and zipping it up all the way to the collar.

I could already hear two wolves speeding towards me. I tuned into their minds.

_Jake! Jake, is this her scent?_

Whoever was speaking, which was not a voice I recognized from Jake, Leah, or Seth, let the my smell fill their minds entirely. Strangely enough, I could only hear him talking with a bunch of other voices I didn't recognize and Jake. No Seth or Leah.

_Yes, that's her! That's her!!_

The footsteps became more frenzied.

_Jake, she reeks of blood. Do you really believe that she could possibly still be alive?_

_ Yes, Sam. Seth says she is. I think we should listen to him on this one._

_ Jake, you know that emotion could be clouding his judgment._

_ Would you know if Emily was still alive?_

_ …_

Neither of them spoke. I leaned against a tree and waited for this _Sam_ to arrive. I pressed my palm against my chest, as though using pressure to keep my (non-existent) wound from bleeding.

A giant, sandy-brown wolf-Sam broke through the foliage and lurched to a stop in front of me. I knew from his mind that he was starring at my eyes, since the river's touch gave them the quality of generating light. It was faint, but still. In the dark, I'm sure they stood out. And they were still strikingly blue. Judging from the magnitude of the power used to heal my wound, the glow would last another four days. I wouldn't have my brown eyes back for another week.

Then Sam's gaze flickered to my blood soakedness, and my hand pressed against my supposed wound.

_You can hear my thoughts, correct?_

I nodded my head.

_Then get on._

He turned so his side was facing me, and bent down. An order to ride on his back. I bent my knees and jumped, grapping on to his neck fur and hoisting myself between his shoulder blades. Once I had stopped fidgeting, he took off, back towards the house.

I tuned out from his mind, which was a ongoing stream of reassurances to other wolves, some who were closer to the house and delivering the news to my mom and Ella. And whoever else was there, I guess.

How long had it been since I'd eaten? I was painfully starving. I felt like scarfing down a whole McDonald's right now. I tried to put a clamp on my hunger as we slowed down, nearing the house. We broke through the final mass of trees to see a gathering of people around the house. A lot of tan, only-in-pants guys who were obviously wolves. Seth, pacing by the door, with Leah trying to get him to look in my direction. Mom was red eyed and holding tightly to Ella's hand, Charlie's arm around her waist. Bella, Alice, Carlisle, as well as a red-haired guy, a suspiciously muscley guy, clutching a busty blonde to his side, along with a sandy haired male and a caramel-haired female, were all standing towards the back of the house. They all had that over-paleness, that disgustingly sweet smell, and were model-good looking. Almost everything about them screamed at my instincts to stay away.

As soon as they caught site of us, I felt someone digging into my mind. I immediately threw them out, and put a lock down on my head. Closing my eyes, I focused on Mom and Ella's heads, and extended that mind block to them, too. I had practiced with this skill back at the school (shudder) to perfection, but there was one little setback. As long as the block was in place, I couldn't read their minds, either. But I was the only one who could break it, thank goodness.

That was bad, I couldn't help but think. Was there a wolf who could read minds? I looked at Bella and her family again, my mind screaming _Eraser!! _

Then Sam came to a full stop and I slid off his back, only to be practically tackled by mom and Ella.

"You're alive, you're really alive!" Ella shouted, loud enough to break Seth out of his pacing and turn his head.

"Of course I'm alive. You really think I would die from _that?" _I scoffed. Ella smiled and shook her head, wiping her eye. Then I turned towards mom

"Uh…Mom? Food?" I asked. She nodded, smiling, her eyes focused on mine. I didn't need to read her mind to see the question on her face. But she didn't say anything, not wanting to draw attention from the others.

I noticed Seth approaching, though from the looks of Leah trailing behind him, it was against her will. He kept a good distance, looking like it was painful to do so.

"Can I…Could I hug you?" He asked tentatively.

Every time I tried to force myself to relax, tension would spring right back. Why the hell (or school. Same thing.) did he care?

No matter how I stared at him, he just stood there patiently, his eyes hopeful, open palms facing up in the universal sign for _I am not a threat. I come in Peace._

I surprised myself with this one. I took a few steps forward. I reached out my arm, and, without any other sort of contact, rigidly patted his back. Good enough. Then I stepped back, quickly. I couldn't tell if he was satisfied with that or not. But he must have been, because he stepped away to give me more space. It occurred to me, too late, to read his mind. Why hadn't I thought of this before? Usually, I was so precise and efficient that I was unrivaled. Was it usually? Or was it school-inflicted? I couldn't even remember.

Looking over, I could see hatred, though diluted and intermingled with confusion and interest, burning in Bella's eyes. There was a girl I hadn't noticed before clutching her hand. A girl who looked similar to both Bella and the red-haired guy, who I assumed was Bella's husband and the girl their daughter.

Jake, running in from the woods (human) was the first to break the tense silence.

"How stupid are you? You are seriously injured! You could have _died!_ Not to mention that you're killing the rest of us with concern!" He had been jabbing his finger angrily in my direction, and motioned around to the amassed group on the phrase "the rest of us."

Why would any of them care? They don't even know me. But then again, they do know mom. And her, I'm sure they care about. If anything happened to me, she would be upset, and that would upset them secondhand. This thought made me remember my mother.

I spun around to face her. "I'm sorry mom. I really am. But you know I had to do that," I said. I tried to look regretful. I really did. But I just couldn't make myself.

"Yes, sweetie, I do. I do understand. But I just got you back. I didn't want to lose you again," She said. Oh, right. The whole thinking I was dead thing. Forgot about that.

I heard Jake growl. He probably thought I had ignored him.

Carlisle stepped forward. "Max, could I look at that knife wound now? It looked like it had hit your heart. If I don't do something about that, you really could die-"He said, using a doctoral voice that was shudderingly familiar.

"Oh, it went right through my heart. That's why it was bleeding so freaking much," I stated. There was silence all around as everyone stared at me. I turned back to mom. "By the way, you're okay, right? The knife didn't hit you? You're not hurt?" She just shook her head numbly, her eyes staying on me even as she turned her head. It was a little on the creepy side. I felt everyone's eyes drift to my wound, to all the blood. Then to the wound area. Which I'm sure, in their minds, would make me fall over dead in the next thirty seconds.

"Are you…Okay?" Carlisle finally sputtered out.

"I'm fine, I replied curtly, then continued, "It was a simple knife wound. Please. Like that would kill me. I have had way worse in my lifetime."

I had a sudden flashback to when they re-wired my nervous system. They literally had to take off pretty much all my skin and bisect most of my muscles. They couldn't use any sort of painkiller, because it would mess with my nerves/brain, ruin the procedure and endanger my life even further than it already was. I have never been in so much pain in my life. I came so close to dying. I think I even saw the light. Or maybe that was just wishful thinking.

Mom's hand latched around my elbow. "Carlisle, I'll examine her. I've treated her before, and she's much more comfortable with me. We'll just go get her checked out now." There was a sudden, intense urgency to her. I wanted to argue, but I found myself just as silent as the rest of them as she towed me through her front door and upstairs to the bathroom.

**Wow, two chapters in two days. GO ME!! Not that I don't owe you guys, since I've waited three months before following though my awful cliffy. But hey, this is, like, six or seven Microsoft pages. THAT is an accomplishment. I did a lot of things in this chapter that I might regret later. So please review and let me know what you think!! **

**I would like to thank the people who thanklessly (wait a second…) followed my story even though I was in a major writing deficit disorder. (Aka writers block) It's your encouragement that finally got these chapters up!!**


	8. Chapter 8

Okay, first of all, let me point this out. You may find this hard to believe, but it felt better than anything else in the whole world to be free and back with my mom again. It was beyond terrifying, too. Like death, flying, and cheeseburgers (which I have not had in years) all rolled into one.

Yet, I know very well how stupid I had been to specify where that knife hit me as soon as I walked back into the house and my mind opened up to swallow their thoughts along with my own. Not to mention the way I couldn't seem to control myself around anyone.

As Mom dragged me upstairs toward the bathroom (or at least, that's my best guess) my own thoughts since I had escaped the school flickered through my head, echoing like a montage in a movie. And it hit me.

God, this whole time, I had been referring to people as… humans. Thinking about how I was acting _like _a human. Like I'm_ not_ one.

A bitter laugh escaped my lips, lashing through my throat like whips. My mother's pace grew more frantic, if that's possible. I've never been totally human, and I've known that for as long as I can remember. Hell, I didn't get my first bed until I was ten. I remember, with my… with _the_ flock, all we did was try to be human. Pretend to be human. My last couple of years had only made me less human that before. I used to know that I was 98% normal. Now I don't have a number to look at. Not that it was ever really accurate. What does it matter if your mostly human? If your not 100%, then you _aren't one._

Right now, more than any other time in my life, I felt like I wasn't even human at all.

I didn't feel the tears streaming down my face until the door slammed behind me, sealing Mom and me in the bathroom. She looked around, her eyes already demanding answers before her mouth had the chance to even form the words. She stopped when she saw me. I glanced at my reflection in the mirror that loomed over the sink. All my muscles were tense. I could feel them clenching, taut, straining against my body. Like my skin kept them in a giant, pale cage. My face was… almost impassive. Like a stone mask, with eyes painted wide, lips slightly pressed together, a fountain of tears trickling down porcelain cheeks. Somehow, I looked so much more vulnerable than you would think. I don't know how Fang does it.

Mom traced her finger across my face, from the ridge of my nose to my temple, following the gentle curve of my cheekbone. The wiped-away tear track was quickly replaced with a new one.

"Max," her voice was low, soothing, full of nameless emotions. That one word said more to me than all the explanations in the world could.

"I'm okay. I'm alright now," how did the bawling mutant end up comforting the still-faced human mother? I'm not really sure. That's it, folks. Once you develop that maternal instinct, you are stuck with it forever.

Her fingers ghosted down my face, wiping up the tears, and kept going down until her hand hovered over my bandaged chest. Her eyes were wide, her lip trembling, her muscles stiff with questions.

I silently took off my shirt and began unwrapping my torso. After a brief mourning of all the work I put into wrapping, the bandages fell to the floor. Her gasp was so choking, I felt with strange certainty that almost everyone waiting downstairs heard it.

"Max!" Why was that one word so incredibly panicked? Was there some sort of illusion that made her see a giant, bleeding hole? If that was true, who saw the reality? Me or her?

My small freak out was quieted when I saw the tears that started running down her face. _That's it, _I thought. _I'm screwed._

But then, this huge smile broke out across her face, her eyes shining with more than just the excess water. She crushed me in a hug, burying her face in my filthy and tangled hair.

I knew that everything was alright. I closed my eyes, and for the first time in what felt like more than forever, I truly let myself go and hugged her back with just as much strength.

She withdrew and tossed a new shirt at me, one that was clean and did not have hole in it. It was baggy, with two slits already sliced down the back. Once I pulled it on, she wordlessly handed me a thick jacket as well.

"Come to the diner with me, we need to talk," she crooned with a low rasp.

She wrapped her fingers firmly around my wrist and pulled me out the door. I felt slightly like a rag doll- being dressed and dragged around. I had a brief flicker of memory, the fourteen-year-old me stirring slightly, deep within my chest. She didn't like being dragged. It felt wrong and dangerous, and way too submissive for her taste. I shoved her back down. Just like I had done for the last few years. I had discovered very early on that having her around after I became an official resident of the school again was much too painful to bear.

The light brightened, and rain started pooling in my hair. I noticed suddenly that we were outside again because of this. A brief glance at Mom showed her tears to still be falling, mixing with the rain in a way that rolled down her face even more intensely. People surrounded us in an instant.

Jake looked at Mom's face. "Oh no," slipped through his lips like a prayer. Or a curse. Everyone's expression grew solemn. I couldn't help but laugh lightly (or however much of a laugh came out) at their thoughts. They all thought, from mom's tears, that I was dead for sure.

"God, you're laughing? Why in the world would you laugh? You're _dying!_ WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?" Charlie finally exploded. I felt myself wince. Someone yelling at me always meant a world of excruciating punishment.

"I'm taking Max and Ella, and we are going out for a little while. I need to talk to her where no one will eavesdrop," She looked pointedly at the wolves with that last statement. Somehow, she reached to Charlie and cupped his chin, forcing his eyes to look into hers. I guess he saw something there, because he slowly backed down.

It dawned on my suddenly that she had seen the pack turn into wolves during the fight. All of us had. Yet, she seemed to have no reaction whatsoever about it. That meant that she knew. Why would she know? For that matter, what was Mom and Charlie's relationship with the pack? I was so confused, I felt that I wanted more than anything to curl up and sleep, leave life behind for as long as the night would give me mercy.

Ella hurried up to grab my other hand. I hesitated only a moment before letting my fingers twine with her. Yet, I still saw several of their eyes narrow at my hand while I deliberated.

I was carted over to the police cruiser in the driveway. It was almost ironic, putting me in the backseat. After all, I was technically illegal. I was a recombinant experiment (which are illegal) created by a lab (that is both secret and illegal). Get it?

Oh, well. I thought it was funny.

I sat in the backseat in a sort of comatose. All my thoughts seemed far away, as though they were from someone that my mind-reading was picking up on, but thoughts that I weren't listening to. I frowned slightly when the rain wasn't on me anymore. It counted as being part of water, to whoever was keeping score of that. It might have hummed in displeasure when I got into that car, but I wasn't really sure. I just sat there, watching it pound on the windows, watching the trees blur by as they passed. I was reminded faintly why I hated being in cars.

I vaguely made out Mom's voice, probably filling in Ella on what had happened in the bathroom.

I didn't realize we had stopped until my door opened and Ella held out her hand to help me out. I took it.

We ducked into a little café, and once the smells hit me, I was awakened. God, I was hungry! I'd been living off of pilfered non-perishables since I escaped, and hadn't even eaten anything today. My stomach growled threateningly, demanding food from me-or else. (or else what, you wonder? I can see the headlines now: _girl survives fatal stab and then dies of hunger) _

Once we sat down, my eyes scanned over the menu only long enough to select which burger had the most food in it.

"How are you alive?" Ella immediately dived in. The phrase _takes no prisoners _popped into my head. I wasn't even entirely certain what in meant in that exact moment, though.

A heavy sigh burned through my lips. "What did they tell you?"

They both slightly winced at the memory. I braced myself.

"They said that you got captured off of that beach in Houston, after you thought they were destroyed. None of you were prepared, and you were just too outnumbered. They were all in the same general area in the school; close enough to talk to each other. All except for you. They thought it was a few days that they were there. They planned how they would escape, they tried to figure out where you were, and they picked fights with the scientists."

Mom's voice died down as a waitress came up to our table. I felt like stone. Ever tried swallowing electric needles? That's what this felt like.

"Ready to order, sugar?" The girl's polite voice rang out

I didn't pay attention to what mom and Ella ordered. I was too busy trying to find the name of the burger I had decided on earlier.

"And you, sweetie?" She was looking at me now.

"Um… I'll have three loaded burgers, with a side of fry's on all of those, two glasses of coke, and two glasses of water." I know water was a weird drink for me to get. But drinking it always made me feel so much stronger. I haven't decided yet if my water affinity was worth the process of getting it, but I _did _love having it. "And that will be all."

Her eyebrow shot up considerably. She stared at me for a moment, considering. "Would you like those burgers all at once, or one at a time?" I was shocked (and_ so _happy) that she was taking me seriously.

"All at once?"

"Alright… You're food should be out shortly."

I turned back to mom. "You were saying?"

We made meaningless chat about the weather or something until the waitress disappeared into the kitchen. I wasn't really paying attention to Mom's falsely cheery tone. Just nodding and waiting for the tell-tale drop into a grave whisper.

It came a few moments later.

"Angel said… That they killed you. She said that she _saw it happen."_

"How could she be wrong?" Ella's voice came in, barely above a hoarse whisper.

"I know…" My flinch did not go unnoticed. "I… I made a deal with the scientists. My cooperation for their freedom."

There was a silence after that. I couldn't tell if it was a shocked silence, or a calculating silence, or maybe just a mournful silence. I couldn't read their minds, because of the block, I couldn't read their faces, because they were frozen and impassive. All I knew was that they didn't speak, and the sounds of the world faded, until the only sounds we had ever known were the ones in that moment. The clatter of silverware against dishes, jumbled conversations, she swooping _shush_ of rain against the windows, the walls, the roofs, the grass just outside. Bursts of laughter, and sudden spurts of quiet, when you could just imagine that the rest of the world was as silent as you and that moment.

I'd nearly forgotten why there was a silence in the first place by the time the waitress came back with our drinks, and then again with our food. Our meal continued on with wordless eating. I began to wonder if they were waiting for me to say something else.

I was halfway through the second plate when Ella spoke up. "What… what did they do to you? When you were… there?"

I took my time to think. I felt almost reluctant to use my voice again, after just listening for so long. It felt strangely unnatural.

"Ella, you know I love you and Mom. I can talk to you- really talk. But because I love you… please. Ask me anything but that."

There you go. Maximum Ride's attempt at being emotional. My years of… whatever you would call what happened to me, had not changed the fact that I hated the mushy emotional crap. But I'll be damned if I burden them with all _those_ details, on top of everything else.

Ella and Mom exchanged a quick glance, which only served to make me feel even more vulnerable. I made a half-hearted excuse of going to the bathroom just to escape. This mostly consisted of me leaning against my stall door in there, and staring at my reflection as I washed my hands. I did so slowly. I placed excruciating detail into every step I took as I waked.

My mind auto piloted, tuning into the hushed voices of Ella and Mom as I walked out of the bathroom.

"…No wonder she seems so… I don't even know what word to use. Just the way she is right now. Max had such a strong will. I can only imagine how much it killed her inside to sit there and submit while they continuously used her, experimented on her, tortured her. God, I can only imagine…" Her voice trailed off as she spotted me coming back.

_No, Mom, you can't even imagine. Or at least, if there is a God, please, please don't let her be anywhere close to the truth…_

I was starting on my third burger when I braved speech again.

"How were they? The last time you saw them," My voice was a low rasp that sounded weird even to me.

Mom's lip twitched. I honestly couldn't tell if it was good or bad, but it reminded me eerily, of… something. Something… Fang… used to do?

"They came to the wedding a few months ago. They are all healthy and getting along all right. Everyone's taller. _Especially _Gazzy. He really had quite the growth spurt..." She stopped short. I didn't know if It was because she had nothing else to say, or just found some reason to stop. I downed my water in a fit of nerves. Their frayed ends stopped screaming inside my head.

_Tell her to keep going_ a part of me prodded. At the same time, it hurt. It hurt a _lot._ Who would seek that out? So I let the topic drop.

We were just marvelous at making conversation, weren't we?

I was much more alert on the car ride back then I had been on the way to the restaurant, and that awareness came with an acute sense of unease. Unease of being in a car, unease of being in the back of a _police _car, unease as I mulled over the whole chain of events in the past few hours.

Despite all the people that were still in the house (which you could tell by how much noise they were making) I was hugely relieved to get out of that car.

I followed Mom through the front door. Everyone was silent before we even walked in. I assumed that Jake and the others had tipped them all off to our arrival.

"So she's still alive," I heard Bella mumble sarcastically.

My mother sighed, a long, windy breath, as only a mother can sigh. "We all need to talk…"

"Yeah, no kidding," Charlie drolled.

What was there to really say? I know they all needed to hear something. I was just glad I wasn't the one who was coming up with the explanation.

Mom sat down, and Ella plopped onto the arm of the couch, next to the white coat. Even though it wasn't me, I couldn't help but shudder at her proximity.

"Max is my daughter, let there be no mistake about that. Please, though, for your sake and Max's don't seek an explanation any further than that. Oh, and she's alright. I can personally assure you that she will NOT die."

There was a pointed silence.

"…That's it? That's all your telling us?" Bella cried incredulously.

My hands fisted and unfisted at my side.

"We were attacked by those… those… _things!_ And you expect us to just except that?" Bella's voice rose an octave higher as she began to shout.

"Don't yell at her." My voice was a low warning.

"Or what?" She shouted again.

A growl rose in my throat and my stance rolled forward threateningly. "Want to find out?"

"Bella." Edward warned calmly, holding her hand. Holding her back. I had a sudden realization how exactly un-human I currently looked. That knowledge weighted down my shoulders, making them slump. I felt torn open all over again, but this time, it was so much more vulnerable.

_Welcome to the family, Max, _I thought sarcastically.


End file.
